Ball shaping machine



June 13, 1933.

c. s. BRADLEY BALL SHAPING MACHINE 1 Filed June 29. 19:51

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES S. BRADLEY, F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ,ASSI/GNOB, T0 AIBICAN BALL COMPANY, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA BALL SHAPING IACHINE Application led ilunev 39,

. liminarily and roughly vformed by dies'which VArotary die.

cut the same from steel wires or rods. The balls whenleaving the dies are not of true spherical form but have a roughlykspherical form with flattened sides. In my application for patent entitled Ball shaping process and apparatus filed October 13, 1927, Serial Number 225,971, I have disclosed a machine for finishing the balls after they have been cut from steel Wire and roughly shaped.

It is the main object of this `invention to provide certain improvements in the machine disclosed in my above identified prior application for patent.

In the machine disclosed'in my prior ap lication, the rou hly shaped balls are fed between a rotary ie having a continuous groove formed on ,its circumferential edge and a nonrotary die having a concave edge facing the rotary die and provided with argroove in the concave edge mating with the groovel of the rotary die to form a passage through which the balls run. The non-rotary die is mounted on a pivoted arm spring pressed towardthe The grooves in bothA dies are substantially but less than semi-circular in cross section and are developed from circles having considerably greater diameter than the diameter of the balls and the bottoms of the grooves are spaced apart less distance than the diameters of the circles from which the grooves are developed so that the bottoms of the grooves will engage the balls. The relative movement between the two dies causes the balls to be rolled as they travel through the passage formed by the grooves and as the non-rotary die is pressed toward the rotary v die, the balls will be squeezed between the dies and brought to substantially sphericall form. l

Insuch a machine it is desirable that the balls be intermittently fed to the passage formed between the two dies so that each ball may be successively acted on by the dies with- 1931. serial m. 547,506.

out permitting certain balls, due to the fact thatthey' arev of lar er diameter at certain pioints than other `bal s, to prevent the action desirable in such a machine to prevent all movement of the arm carrying the non-rotary die, except in a direction to and from the rotary die, to maintain the grooves of the two dies in perfect alinement atall times and at the same time to permit adjustment of the arm carrying the non-rotary die laterally of the rotary die to take up for wear in the bearing upon which the arm is mounted.

It is the object of this invention to provide a machine including therein structure for producing all the desirable results above mentioned as well as other desirable results.

To these ends, generally stated, the invention consists in the novel parts and novel combinations of parts, hereinafter defined in the claims, and described in the following specification, made in connection with theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the samd or similar parts throughout the various views, and 1n which, i

Fig. 1 is a view partly in front elevation' and partly in vertical section through chine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a yview partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section through the device shown in Fig. 1;v

Fig. 3 is a horizont-al section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1; l

Fig. 5 isa plan view of the hopper abutment plate and chute as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 6 is a view in front elevation showing these same parts;

a masusl Fig. 7 is a section taken on. the line 7-7 Y Fig. 11 is a section taken through adja-A cent portions of the rotary and non-rotary dies and showing one of the roughly formed balls in place within thepassage formed by the dies;

Fig. 12 is aview illustrating a completed or finished ball; y

Fig. 13 is aview taken chiefiy in vertical :section and illustrating a modified form of support for the non-rotary die carrying arm; and

Fig.'14.is a sectional view analogous to Fig. 7 but illustrating a modified form of chute that may be used.

Referring to the drawings, particularly Figs. 10, 11 and 12, there is illustrated in Fig. 10 one of the balls or air rifle shot 14 as it comes from the forming dies which cut the same from steel wire or rods. has pronounced vflattened portions 14a at the opposite sides thereof, and is not suitable for use until it has been brought into truly spherical form as shown in Fig. 12.

My machine, as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 9 for operating on the balls 14 to bring them to approximately true spherical form, incudes a hollow base or pedestal 16, which may he secured to the Hoor or other suitable supporting surface in any desired manner. This base 16 has a fiange at its upper end to which there is bolted a head 17 forming the frame of my machine. This head has a rearwardly extending bearing sleeve 18.

which projects horizontally from the head well above the pedestal 16, and the sleeve for'a purpose later to he described. The hub 23 bears against a. plate 24 bolted to the rear end of the sleeve- 18 and a bushing 25 fitting within a recess in the outer surface of the sleeve A18 adjacent its rear end, forms one bearing for a sleeve26 to which a fly wheel 27 is secured. The forward portion of the sleeve 18 forms another bearing for the sleeve 26. The sleeve 26 at its rear end is provided with a portion fitting within the notches of This ball end adap the hub 23, and it will thus be seen that as the fly wheel 27 is rotated, the shaft 22 willl also be rotated. Secured to the shaft 22. at its forward end is a hub.v 28 having 4a'vertical flange to which there is bolted an annular rotary die 29. A ring 30 is secured to the forward end of the sleeve 18 and this ring holds -apacking ring 31 in place against the hub 28 vto prevent the leakage of lubricant forwardly throu h the ball bearing 21, as well as to exclu e dirt and dust therefrom.

The head 17 has a base which rests on the flange of the pedestal 16 and a air of front and rear oppositely disposed b oeks 32 having opposite screw threaded openin therein are secured to this base at one si e thereof. The axis of the screw threaded openings of the blocks32 is parallel to the axis of the shaft 22. Forwardl from the rear block 32 a split clam ing co lar 33 is formed in the head 17 and t is clamping collar has has an opening alined with tlie openings in the block 32. A pin 35 having a screw threaded rear portion and a conically pointed lforward end is mounted in the opening of the rear. block 32 and in clam ing collar 33 andthis in has a polygonal-s rear to receive a\wrench for adjustingthe pin forwardly and rearwardly by screw threaded movement through the rear block 32.. The bolt of the clampin collar 33 is adapted to be drawn up to tig ten the collar on the pin 35 and thereby hold the in in the desired adjusted position. Anot er pin 36 having a screw threaded forward sortion and a conically pointed rear en is mounted in the openings of the forward block 32 and the clamping collar 34 for forward and rearward adjustment by screw threaded movement through the forward block 32 and this pin has a forward polygouai-shaped end adapted to receive a wrench. The Vpin 36 is ada ted to be held in the desired adjusted position when the bolt of the collar is drawn up to tighten the collar against the pin 36. A. short pivot pin 37 disposed parallel to the shaft 22 has outwardly flaring conical, recesses in its ends joining small circular recesses and the conically pointed portions of the two pins 35 and 36 fit within the conical recesses at the ends of the pin 37. The pin 37 fits within and is keyed to a hub ofa heavy upwardly projecting arm 38. The arm 38 bears at its rear side against the face plate 19 and is recessed to receive a non-rotary die 39 having a. concave edge facing the rotary die 29. Nutted bolts- 40 havin heads countersunk within the non-rotary ie 39 fit within slots 38a in the arm and secure the non-rotary die tend through the arm and engage the outer sideedge of the die 39 to accurately adjust the die 39 relative to the die 29. The arm 38 14 to be fed into the passage between the dies i is spring pressed toward the rotary die 29 by a compression coiled s rin 41 which surrounds a rod 42 extending t rough a boss carried on the end of a heavy arm 43 formed integral with head 17. The rod 42 loosel engages the arm 38 at one end and is threaf ed adjacent said end to receive a pair of nuts 44 engaging a washer 45 against which one end of spring 41 bears, the other end of the spring engaglng the boss at the outer end of the arm 43. It will be seen that the tension of the spring 414 can be readily varied. Movement of the arm 38 and accordingly of the non-rotary die 39 toward the rotary die 29 is determined and adjustably limited by a set screw 46 mounted in the up' r end of the arm 38 and adapted to strike a ug 47 carried by the arm 43. The rotary die 29 has a continuous oove cut in its circumferential edge an this groove as best seen in Fig. 11 is designated 29a. The non-rotary die 39 has a continuous groove 39a cut in its concave edge and this roove 39a mates with the groove l29a to orm a passage through which the balls 14 to beeacted on by the dies may run." The grooves 29a and 39a are both substantially but less than semi-circular'in cross section and are developed from circles having considerably greater diameter than the diameter of the balls 14, and the bottoms of the grooves are spaced apart less dist ice than the diameters of the circles froln which the grooves are developed. The upper end-of the. roove 39a in the die 39 is enlarged at 391 to orm a Haring enlargement serving as a ball entrance portion into the passage formed'by the mating grooves 29a and 39a.

A chute` plate 49 disposed above the rotary die 29and having a concave edge running to a point adjacent the upper end of the nonrotary die 39 is secured for vertical adjustment to the face plate 19 by means of bolts 50 which run through Ashort vertical slot-s in the plate 49; Secured to or formed integral with the plate 49 is a ring' 51 forming a feeding disk abutment member. Secured to the ring 51 is a hopper 52 adapted to hold the balls 29 and 39. This hopper 52 has a number of ribs 52a formed adjacent its upper end which `support a gear casing 53 within which avertical shaft 54 is journaled. The vertical shaft 54 projects Idownwardly from the gear casing 53 and carries a head 55 adjacent its lowerend which head includes any upper cylindrical portion and a lower truncated conical portion, the larger base of which is lowermost. A feeding disk 5,6, asbest shown in Fig. 9, is pinned to .the head 55and rests upon a ring 57 of soft metal which lits within a rabbet at the upper inner surface of the ring journaled in the gear housing 53. The shaft 61 drives the shaft 54 through a suitable worm multi-grooved pulley 58 is ro-y and worm gear (not illustrated) and located v within the gear housin 53.

Shaft 54 is prefera ly disposed substantially in vertical alinement with the shaft 22, while the non-rotary die 39 is disposed at one side of the rotary die 29. The chute plate`49 has a V-shaped groove 49a in cross section cut f in its forward side and leading into a groove 49? square in cross section. 'lhe grooves 49a and 49h extend from the top of the ring 51 diagonally downwardly to the lower edge of the late 49 adjacent the enlarged entrance portlon 396 of the non-rotary die 39. The grooves 49a and 49b form a chute in the chute plate 49 which extends substantially tangentially relative" to the rotary die 29 at the point where the upper vend of the non-rotarydie 39 faces the rotary die 29. A bar 62 ftswit-hiu the groove 49a and acts as a filler partially closing 'the roove 491), This bar .62 is sc cured to a p ate k63 bolted on to the plate 49 and curved forwardly over the upper portion of the forward side ofthe rotary die 29. The feeding disk 56 has a plurality of radially and circumferentially spaced ball receiving openings 56a therein adapted to be successively alined with the upper end ofthe chute formed by the grooves 49a and 49?) as the feeding disk 56 is rotated. To prevent more than one bal-1 14 within the hopper 52 being discharged from the hopper through any opening 56a alined with the chute at one time, there is provided a sweep 64 mounted on an arm 65 secured to the hopper 52 and having a lower end resting on the feeding disk 56 immediately above the upper end of the chute. This sweep 64 may comprise a plurality `of felt blocks 64a secured together by a nutted bolt 64b running through the arm 65, the block 64a and short metal bars 640 dis osed at the outer sides of the assembled felt lock structure. The felt blocks 64a project below the bars 64o so that the lower end of the sweep will have considerable resiliency. It will be understood that the sweep 64 may be differently constructed if so desired.

' A conduit 66 having a trough portion running laterally to the non-rotary die 39 is disposed below the rotary die 29 and runs vertically downwardly therefrom through an opening in the basev of the head 17 This conduit 66 is mounted on the' face plate 19 for vertical adjustment by means of bolts 67 which run through verticalslots in a plate formed integral y with the conduit.` A hub 68 ico` i carried b the conduit 66 adjacent its u per end carnes a rod 69, which projects iagonally upwardly and into the groove 29a of the rotary die to discharge any balls there' A curved chute 72 runs from below the funnel 71 through an opening in the side of the pedestal 16.

If desired a belt tightener 73 may be applied to the gear casing 53 for use to tighten the belt 59.

To operate the machine, the fly wheel 27 will be driven as by a belt running over the same, so as to rotate the shaft 22 and the rotary die 29 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1. The shaft 54 will also be driven to rotate the feeding disk 56. The hoppler 52 will be at least partialll filledA with balls 14 to which a lubricating iiiiid such vas oil has been applied.- As the machine yis set in operation, balls will run into the openings 56a of the feed disk 56 and the various openings 56a will be successively brought into alinement with the upperA end of the feed chute formed by thc grooves 49a and 491) in plate 49. Balls will thus be successively and intermittently.discharged from the feed disk 56 into the feed chute, the sweep 64 acting to v permit only one ball being discharged into the feed chute at a single time as succeeding openings 56a are alined with'the upper end of the feed chute. The balls will run down j through the feed chute and will be discharged therefrom intermittently into the ball receiving portion 39o of the passage formed by the grooves 29a and 39a of the two dies. Due to the inclination of the feed chute relative to the rotary die 29, the fballs will be discharged from the feed chute so that they are traveling in substantially the same direction as the direction of travel of the balls through the upper portion of the passage formed by the grooves 29a and 39a. As a result, when the balls drop into this passage, there will be no tendency for them to bounce and accumulate together in the assage as would be the case if the feed c ute were radially disposed relative to the rotary die.

'The balls will therefore run through this lpassage in spaced .relation from each other and the dies may act on each individual ball irrespective of whether or not certain other balls held in the passage are of larger di- -ameterat certain points than the remaining balls. The rotary die 29 and the nonrotary die 39 cooperating with the spring 41 act to roll the balls and squeeze them to The balls carried through the passagev between the dies will` be discharged into the conduit 66 and thence conveyed to the funnel 71 to be eventually discharged from the machine through the chute 72. Any balls sticking within the groove 29a of the rotary die will be discharged from this groove through the lnedium of the rod 69.

The construction of the pivot for the arm 38l is such that the groove 39a cannot be thrown out of alinement with the groove 29a when the machine is in operation, i. e. forward and rearward movements of the -upper portion of the arm 38 is positively prevented. Forward and rearward adjustment of the arm 38 is, however, possible by adjust 'ment ofthe pins 35 and 36 to permit original proper alinement between the grooves 39 and 29 of two dies as a new die is substituted for an'old die. The'pins 35 and 36 may also be adj usted to take up for any wear in the pivot bearing for the arm 38. As both the'chute plate 49 and the conduit 66 are vertically adjustable on the yface plate 19, proper adjustment of these parts can be made so that when the rotary die 29 and nonrotary die 39 are renished after becolning worn, and these dies reinserted in place on the machine, the said parts 49 and 66 may properly fit for use with the refinished dies.

In place of the pivot construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 for the arm 38, the construction shown in Fig. 13 may be used. As illus` trated in this view, a screw threaded pin 74 is j ournaled in the hub of the arm 38 and is also mounted in a hub' formed on .the head 75 similar in most `respects to the head 17. A collar 76 carried by the pin 74 abuts the forward vend of thehub ofthe arm 38, while nuts 77 screw threaded on the pins 74 abut the rear side of the hub of the arm 38 and the forward and rear sides o f the hub formed in the head 75. This construction will permit of no forward and rearward movement of the arm 38 and will yet' permit the arm to be properly adjusted so that the grooves 29a and 39a may be properly alined at all times.

By forming the V-shaped groove 49a in the plate 49, and using the bar 62 to close the forward side of the groove 491), it is readily possible to clean the grooves 49a and 496 by merely running a wire up and 'downwardly Within the grooves between the bar 62 and the grooved portion of the plate 49. It is also readily possible to remove the bar 62 for a thorough cleaning of the chute without disaembling the whole machine. In Fig. 14, there is shown an alternative construction that may be used in place of the plate 49, the bar 62 and the plate 63. The construction shown in Fig. 14 comprises a plate 78 having an opening' 78a diagonally drilled therethrough to extend t and from the same points as the groove 4915 and in the same direction as the groove 496. A slot 7 8b runs from the forward side of the plate 78 into the openin 7 8a and a wire can be inserted through thls slot 786 and run upwardly and downwardly to cleanthe opening 78a.

vThe machine of the present invention has been amply demonstrated in actual practice and has been found to be successful for the f purposes intended.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is 1. A machine for truing metal balls having inv combination, a head, a shaft journaled in, said head, a rotary circular die mounted ori-said shaft and having a continuous groove cut in its circumferential edge, a non-rotary die having a concave edge facing said rotary die, and provided with a groove in said ed e mating with the groove of said rotary 1e to form a ball receiving passage through which balls are adapted to run to be acted on by the dies, an arm carrying said nonrotary die adjacent one end thereof, resilient means pressing the said end of said arm towards said rotary die, a pivot pin upon'which l said arm is mounted and extending parallel i to the axis of rotation of said shaft and thrust bearings adjustable longitudinally of the axis of said pivot pin and preventin all possible movement of said arm longitudinally of the axis of said pivot pin to adjustably retainthe groove of said non-rotary die in perfect alinement with the groove of said rotary die.

2. A machine for truing metal balls having in combination, a head, a shaft journaled in said head, a rotary circular die mounted on said shaft and having a continuous groove cut in its circumferential edge, a non-rotary' die having a concave edge facing said rotary die and provided with a groove in said edge mating with the groove of said rotary die to form a ball receiving passage through which balls are adapted to run to be acted on by the dies, an

varm carrying saidnon-rotarydie adjacentone end thereof, resilient means pressing the said end of said arm towards said rotary-die, a pivot pin carried by said arm adjacent its opposite end, said pivot pin being disposed parallel to said shaft, oppositely disposed conically pointed bearing members engaging within conical recesses at the ends of said pin, said bearingmembers each having screw threaded portions and screw threaded blocks carried by said heads within which the screw threaded portions of said bearing members fit.

members extend adapted to be tightly clampedv against said bearing members to hold the same in a desired adjusted position.

4. A machine for truing metal balls having in combination, a circular'rotary die having a groove cut in its circumferential edge, a non-rotary die having a concave edge facing said rotary die at one side thereof and having a groove cut in said edge mating with saidgroove in said rotary die to form a ball receiving passage through which balls are adapted to travel to be acted on by the dies, means for discharging the balls from above said dies into saidpassage, a chute leading downwardly from the lower side of said rotar die and joining said non-rotary die, a soc et carried by the upper end of said chute, a rod adjustably clamped in said socket and projecting into the groove of said rotary die to release the balls therefrom, said rod being set at an angle opposed to the direction of otation of the lower portion of-said rotary 5. `A machine for truing 'metal balls incut in its circumferential edge, a non-rotary die at one side thereof and having a groove cut in said edge mating with said groove in said rotary die to form a ball receiving passage throu h which balls are adapted to run to be acte on by the dies, a chute plate located above said rotary die, said chute plate havin a groove ont in its forward face vand exten ing from the upper edge of said plate to the lower edge thereofimmediately above said passage and a removable filler plate partially closin the open side of 'said groove whereby sai groove can be readily cleaned.

6. A machine for. truing metal balls including a circular rotary die having a continuous groove cut in its circumferential edge, a non-rotary 'die having a concave edge facing said rotary die'l and spring pressed towards said rotary die, said non-rotary die Ydie having a concave edge facing said rotary having a groove in its concave edge mating with t-he groove in said rotary die to form a ball receiving passage through which balls are adapted to be run to be acted on by the dies, a hopper located above said dies, and including a bottom abutment member, a rotating disk mounted in said hopper working against said abutment member and having a plurality of radially and circumferentially spaced ball receiving openings therethrough, a chute extending through said abutment member and leading down to the upper end of. said passage and with the upper end of which the openings of said disk are adapted to be intermittently alined and a resilient sweep mounted in said hopper above the upper end of said chute adjacent the upper side of said disk and bearing at its lowerend i geraete thereof and having a groove cut in said edge mating with said groove in said rotary die to form a ball receiving passage through which balls are adapted to run tobe acted on by the dies, a hopper located above said dies and. including a bottom abutment member, a rotating disk mounted in said hopper, working against said abutment member and having a plurality of radially and circumferentially spaced ball receiving openings therethrough, a chute extending through said abutment member and leading down to the upper end of said passage and inclining at its lower end in a direction corresponding roughly with the initial direction of travel. of the balls through the upper end of said passage, the openings in said disk being adapted to be intermlttently alined with the upper end of said chute and means in said hopper permitting only the balls in the openings of said disk to drop into said chute as said openings are successively brought into line with the upper end of said chute.

8. A machine |for truing metal balls having in combination a circular rotary die positioned substantially in a vertical plane and having a continuous groove cut in its circumferential edge, a spring pressed non-rotary die positioned substantially in a vertical plane and having a concave edgefacing said rotary die at one side thereof, said die having a groove cut in said edge mating with the groove in said rotary die to form a ball reeeiving passage through which balls are adapted to run to be acted on by said dies, means for intermittently discharging balls above said dies, a chute running diagonally downwardly from said discharge means to a point adjacent the upper end of said passage, said chute extending substantially tangentially to said passage, the balls discharged by said means running freely downwardly through said chute by gravity to discharge into the upper'end of said passage without bouncing. Y

9. Aimachine fortruing metal balls including a circular rotary die having a continuous groove cut in its circumferentml edge, a

non-rotary die having a concave edge facing said rotary die and spring pressed towards said rotary die, said non-rotary die having a groove in its concave edge mating with the groove in said rotary die to form a ball receiving passage through which balls are adapted to run to be acted on by said dies, a ball holder located above said dies, a rotating disk closing the bottom of said holder and having a plurality of radially and circumferentially spaced ball receiving openings therethrough, an abutment underlylng said disk, a chute leading down to the upper end of said passage and with the upper end of which the openings of said disk are adapted to be intermittently aligned and a resilient sweep overlying a portion of said vdisk adjacent the upper end of said chute and'bearing at its lower portion against the to of said disk, said sweep permitting only alls in the openings of said disk to drop into said chute as the openings are successivel brought into line with the upper end of sald chute.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

CHARLES S. BRADLEY. 

